This weeks Inside Arts Feature - All's fair in love and art

Couple share passion for painting, work featured in current CAC show

"At Rest," a watercolor by Cathy Goodale, is included in the current show at the Cultural Arts Council, "Portraits & Still Lifes." (Courtesy photo)

Estes Park artists James Biggers and Cathy Goodale share a mutual love for the outdoors, the mountains and, most importantly, painting.

The couple's friendship first blossomed when they were part of the same painting groups more than 20 years ago.

Both raised kids and went through divorces before their relationship went to the next level, and the couple bought a house together 12 years ago.

"We were both married to non-artists. To travel with a non-artist is really difficult," Cathy said. "You want to paint, but then what do they do? It's nicer to have the same interests."

Cathy and James took an interest in art at an early age. For Cathy, it was while in high school that she got really serious about it, she said. That led her to pursue a art teaching degree in college, and she went on to teach junior high students for six years.

James Biggers' oil painting, "Lady in White," also is in the CAC show. (Courtesy photo)

Later, she earned continued her art training and earned a fine art degree. Cathy still teaches, but it's just adults these days, as she offers numerous workshops throughout the year.

Her teaching including offering workshops around the world in places such as Russia, Mexico, Africa, Spain, France, Ireland and Costa Rica.

James said he was big into art as a kid, that is until he got into playing sports.

"I would stay inside sometimes at recess and do the art thing," he said. "Later, it wasn't too cool to be in the arts."

James dove back into art while in college. He earned a fine art degree and went on to work in the graphic design/commercial art.

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Both artists have pieces in the current Cultural Arts Council show, "Portraits & Still Lifes." The exhibit at the CAC fine art gallery, located at 423 W. Elkhorn Ave., runs through May 1.

The couple also pulled a combined 22 pieces and installed them on the second floor of the Estes Valley Library as part of the CAC's satellite gallery program. Those pieces will be on display until early May.

Estes Park artists Cathy Goodale and James Biggers have been friends for more than 20 years. They bought a house together 12 years ago. (Anthony Welch / Estes Park Trail-Gazette)

Browsing both artists' websites, one will find paintings of everything from nature, wildlife, scenic landscapes, people and a ton of places Cathy and James have traveled to.

The couple said their drawn to painting people. Cathy mentioned she did a ton of children's portraits while living in Fort Collins for 36 years.

"I prefer figurative work," she said. "You learn so much about value and composition."

Drawing plays a huge role in painting portraits, according to James.

"You have to be able to draw. We have given portrait workshops together, and people don't want to take the time to draw and give a likeness," he added. "That's probably why there are so many landscape painters."

Aside from the CAC and the library, Cathy has work on display at the Columbine Gallery in Loveland, 2683 N. Taft Ave.

James has stuff on display at the Michael Wigley Galleries in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He'll also be a part of the Loveland Museum's Governors Art Show, which runs April 24 through May 29. The Loveland Museum is located at 503 N. Lincoln Ave.

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